The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-09-29
rcor. s.. Louis GIobe-Demoerat. ]


army extends throughout the year, win
ter and summer alike. during which time
the soldier is eternally drilled in aiming
and pointing, in estimating distances by
pacing and by sight in gallery practice
indoors at reduced targets and reduced
ranges and in the field before the butts at
ali distances. The regular target season
begins about May l, and ends about Oct
81 when the new target year actually be-
gins. Suppose we commence with the re-
cruit on Nov. l and carry him through
the regular course of training necessary to
make q good shooting machine of him,
which ends Oct 81 of the succeeding
year.
1t constantly happens that men detached
from the main body of the army are called
upon TO determine for themselves their
distance from an object to be fired at Ex-
perience abundantly proves that soldiers.
by continued practice, may learn to esti-
mate distances up to 600 and 500 yards
with considerably accuracy by simple,
rapid obserF alton. Every soldier is sup
posed to have good eyesight; he, there
fore, after little practice in sightesti-
mating learns the following facts:
at 80 yards the white Of mans eyes Is
plainly seen, and the eyes themselves up
TO so yards.
At 100 yards. all parts of the body are
seen distinctly, slight movements are per-
ceptible, and the minute details Of The un
form can be distinguished.
At $50 yards the brass buttons the
blouse can still lie separate y d st.n-
guished.
At 200 yards the outlines OF the faca
are confused and the rows Of brass bat
tons look like yellow stripes
At 300 yards the buttons are 70 longer
visible.
At 400 yards the face Is mere dot. bua
all movements of the legs a1I arms acc
still distinct.
A 600 yards details can no lon GER be
distinguished, though the tiles of p squad.
if the light be strong. can be counted.
At 500 yards the men in squad can
not always be counted. nor their iudivid.
ual movements distinguished.
At 200 yards line Of men simply 10.
semble broad belt; the direction of their
march can, however, be readily deter
mined
AT 1900 yards infantry can be d:stin.
guished from cavalry.
At 2, 900 yards mounted man looks
like q mere speck or dot
These estimating drills arc at first con-
Quoted on smooth, level country, and
afterward on rough ground
The above drills are supplemented
little later in the season by skirmish prac-
tice, when the soldiers are advanced or
returned on q run before line of targets
the size of men lying down, kneeling, and
standing, when they load and fire at the
sound of bugle depending entirely upon
their own judgment as to what distance
they happen to be from the objects fired
at It teaches them to be quick and OBJ
serving and, above all, to depend en-
tirely upon themselves for the manpula-
ton of their sights and the handling of
their pieces. The estimating distance
drills are usually kept up for two months,
when the soldier is practiced indoors at
aiming, pointing, and pulling the trigger
OF all misses made by anybody when
firing at an object charge better than 90
per cent of them to defective pulling of
the trigger. Nearly every riieman in the
world, be he a greenhorn or an expert, de-
ranges his aim to a more or less degree
when he pulls off the piece
First.class rifiemen will, as a general
rule, fatty deny any such imputation
against their superior craftsmanship. and
will claim that they have long ago
the defective pulling of the
trigger, but the real expert who is grade
above the first class rilleman) knows better
than this, and that as matter of fact not
one rit1eman in a thousand pulls OF his
piece perfectly. Now, If our best shots
can not always thoroughly overcome this
one drawback to fine shooting after wears
for the ordinary soldier in the ranks to
master it! Hence it is that pointing
and aiming drills are continuously prac.
iced in the army, so as to give the soldier,
whether standing, kneeing, or lying
Down, perfect command of his rifle. as
well as TO teach him steadiness of both
person and rifle, and to establish between
he hand and the eye such prompt and
intimate connection as will insure the
hn trim Of H.
proper moment without causing any de-
in the aim.
The next step is gallery practice, which
IS conducted indoors at reduced target
md with reduced charges Iron target
frames are issued by the ordnance de-
oartment on which are painted targets
'educed to any size desired. The eight
nch bulls eye of the field target at 300
Yards is reduced to one inch for twenty
i've yards. the other sections of the target
q proportion. The service rifle is used
with q round ball the caiber of the gun.
md a charge of powder usually not less
han three grains nor more than seven
grains There is no recoil from such |
light cartridge, and the soldier therefore
quickly overcomes his tendency to finch.
Now If he had been marched direct to
he range and given his rifle with the fu !
and told to shoot score at the
ocular target the chances are nine out of
en- that be would have tightly closed both
yes when pulling the trigger and trusted
o luck for hits But the gallery practice
or the soldier paves the way to field firing,
ust as the primer enables the school v
% progress SUGGEST ely 70 the higher
tudies. Excellent results are attained at
he miniature targets. and man. full
cores are often made Gallery fr.ngis
continued Until the IT gd'ar ractice Iegf 6
N the range, when the 50 6ie- Is regu srl,'
advanced from one IaIGe 10 another by a
ystem Of classification according 70 The
merit of his scores. and soon learns TO
as far as possible. all the diff.
.ulties of light shadow. wind. moisture.
tic, under the competent instruction Of
he range officer.